A Nurse's Survival Guide to Drugs in Practice Elsevier eBook on VitalSource, 2nd Edition

• The book provides the underpinning current knowledge required for professional judgement and safer medication management.

• This will be an invaluable resource for those studying prescribing courses as well as being useful for paramedics, student nurses and all qualified staff.

• A more detailed account of medication management, including drug errors and strategies to mitigate against them occurring, is included.

• The multidisciplinary nature of drug administration from the naming of drugs, through drug preparation, administration and outcome are taken into account.

Section 1 Principles of pharmacology

1.1 Introduction to pharmacology; 1.2 The law, drugs and prescribing; 1.3 Medicines management; 1.4 Formulation and administration; 1.5 Pharmacokinetics; 1.6 Pharmacodynamics; 1.7 Adverse drug reactions

Section 2 Autonomic nervous system

2.1 Autonomic nervous system – overview; 2.2 Adrenergic pharmacology; 2.3 Cholinergic pharmacology

Section 3 Pain, analgesia and anaesthesia

3.1 Pain, analgesia and anaesthesia – overview; 3.2 Opioid analgesia; 3.3 Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and paracetamol; 3.4 Anaesthesia

Section 4 Central nervous system

4.1 Central nervous system – overview; 4.2 Chemical transmission in the brain; 4.3 Epilepsy; 4.4 Antipsychotics; 4.5 Antidepressants and mood stabilisers; 4.6 Anxiolytics and hypnotics; 4.7 Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); 4.8 Neurodegenerative disorders

Section 5 Cardiovascular system

5.1 Cardiovascular system – overview; 5.2 Hypertension; 5.3 Atherosclerosis and lipid-lowering drugs; 5.4 Ischaemic heart disease; 5.5 Cardiac arrhythmias; 5.6 Cardiac failure; 5.7 Antithrombotics

Section 6 Respiratory, renal and gastrointestinal systems

6.1 Respiratory system; 6.2 Renal system; 6.3 Gastrointestinal tract

Section 7 Endocrine system

7.1 Endocrine pancreas and diabetes mellitus; 7.2 Pituitary gland and adrenal cortex; 7.3 Disorders of bone and bone metabolism; 7.4 Sex hormones; 7.5 Pregnancy

Section 8 Chemotherapy, antimicrobials and the immune system

8.1 Cancer chemotherapy; 8.2 Antimicrobial drugs; 8.3 The Immune system

Section 9 Other areas of pharmacology

9.1 Herbal medicines; 9.2 Paediatric pharmacology; 9.3 Drugs and the elderly; 9.4 Topical drugs; 9.5 Emergency treatment of poisoning

References

Further reading

Useful Websites

Appendix: Drug measurement and calculations

Index